Microsoft ditches Small Business Server, dedicates efforts to cloud computing

Microsoft recently announced that its soon-to-be-released Server 2012 platform will not include a Small Business Server edition. This will be the first time since 2000 that the popular “SBS” platform will no longer be available.

Microsoft Small Business Server is designed for smaller organizations (under 75 users), and bundles Microsoft's Server, Sharepoint services, and Microsoft Exchange platform into a single package. This meant an inexpensive way for many smaller organizations to have their own in-house mail solution, without the need to have multiple servers and systems.

This decision will impact many of the clients we work with and the future, and in my view is sending a very clear message: Microsoft is committing itself 100% to the cloud.

The next version of the server operating system will have the capability to seamlessly integrate with a variety of cloud email providers. The theory being that on-premise mail servers are no longer necessary since cloud-based email solutions are so readily available and inexpensive.

This decision should be no surprise to those that follow Microsoft and their development efforts. They have been working hard to publicize their cloud-based products, including Office365. This server decision leaves small- and mid-sized business users with two choices:

1) Spend more money on a second or third server to run the full version of Microsoft Exchange or

2) move your email to the cloud.

One of Microsoft's reasons for making this shift was to also consolidate some of their server platforms and simplify licensing (a likely story). Small Business Server and Windows Home Server will no longer be available and will be consolidated into Windows Essential Server (but will have a lower user limit that the previous Small Business Server edition(s)).

Time will tell if Microsoft's bet will pay off, but being the 1000 lb. gorilla, they get to drive the market.

In our next blog , I'll talk more about this shift and details on how it might impact your business.

Brian Rosenfelt has 17 years of business & IT experience, focusing on the areas of network design, virtualization, HIPAA compliance, cloud solutions, backup & disaster recovery planning and IT security.